Latest News from Bosnia and Herzegovina

Venice Commission, OSCE, Criticise Bosnian Serbs ‘Foreign Agents’ Bill

The Venice Commission, the Council of Europe's constitutional law experts, and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, ODIHR, have warned that the new draft law in Bosnia's Republika Srpska entity on the "Special Registry and Publicity of the Work of Non-Profit Organisation", dubbed the "foreign agents law", "contains serious deficiencies".

Croats Mark 1993 Convoy Killings in Central Bosnia

On Thursday, Croats gathered on the 1,600-metre mountain, some 15 kilometres from the small town that carries the same name, to commemorate the attack on what was the 20th 'convoy of life' bringing aid to the Lasva river basin, split at the time between government and Croat forces called HVO.

Teacher Injured in School Shooting in Bosnia, Former Pupil Arrested

A teacher has been shot and is undergoing medical treatment after a 13-year-old opened fire in an elementary school in Lukavac in northeast Bosnia on Wednesday morning. 

"The suspect is a child who is not yet 14 years old (born in late June 2009). The child is being held at Lukavac Police Department," Admir Arnautovic, Tuzla Canton Prosecutor's Office's spokesperson, told the media. 

Bosnia CSOs Warn that New FOI Bill Will Limit Citizens’ Rights

A group of 20 civil society organisations from Bosnia and Herzegovina, gathered in the Initiative for Monitoring European Integration, has issued a warning on "the shortcomings of the Draft Law on Freedom of Access to Information of Bosnia and Herzegovina," which Bosnia's state-level government, the Council of Ministers, adopted on April 12. 

Once a War Criminal, Always a War Criminal?

The question of rehabilitation and reintegration of war criminals has not attracted much attention either in the countries of the former Yugoslavia or internationally. This is somewhat odd considering that 59 of 91 individuals sentenced by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, ICTY have already been released from prison after serving sentences for grave crimes.

Mysterious Balkan tombstones focus of new research

Researcher Saša Čaval from the Institute of Anthropological and Spatial Studies has won the European Research Council Consolidator Grant for her project to research stećci, large medieval tombstones found across the Western Balkans.

Bosnian War Victims Demand Review of Early Release of Kordic

The Association of Victims and Witnesses of Genocide on Monday asked the president of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, Graciela Gatti Santana, to review the 2014 early release of convicted Bosnian Croat war criminal Dario Kordic.

Analysing Algorithms: Bosnian Media Complain of Facebook Guessing Game

But editors and journalists in Bosnia tell BIRN they struggle with its inconsistency in content moderation and a lack of transparency about its algorithms. And when they call Facebook for clarification, too often they are left hanging.

"An armed conflict must be prevented"; If it escalates NATO sends thousands of troops

"If the situation becomes increasingly unstable, if it starts escalating again, of course, that is an option," Wigemark said.
Let us remind you that after the escalation of the situation in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, NATO announced that it would send an additional 700 soldiers to the north, the so-called Kosovo.

In North Kosovo, Expect the Expected

More generally, there is a sense that Pristina has failed to uphold its end of the bargain by refusing to establish the Association/Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, A/CSM, one of the key elements of the now decade-old Brussels Agreement. For Kosovo Serbs, the A/CSM is a vital mechanism through which their community rights can be advanced.

Montenegrin President Makes First Visit to WWII Massacre Memorial

Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic at the WWII memorial in Doli Pivski. Photo: President of Montenegro.

"The state of Montenegro must not forget the innocent suffering of your and our ancestors, relatives and neighbours," Milatovic said at the commemoration.

Escobar: Even if Kurti doesn't want it, CSM will be formed

He also said that the only question is whether Kosovo wants to wait for Euro-Atlantic integration until Prime Minister Albin Kurti fulfills his obligation. Escobar emphasized that "Kosovo must now move as a matter of urgency", and indicated that the establishment of the CSM is an international, legal, undertaken obligation.

Nearly 100,000 tourists visit Belgrade in April

BELGRADE - A total 111,942 tourists, including nearly 100,000 foreigners, visited Belgrade this April, which is a 40 pct increase compared to the same month of 2022, the Tourism Organisation of Belgrade said.

Bosnian Warehouse Workers Find Huge Cocaine Stash in Banana Boxes

Bosnia's State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA on Monday confirmed the seizure of 124 kilograms of cocaine that was found in banana boxes in a warehouse in the town of Siroki Brijeg.

"I can confirm the seizure, the investigators have done their part of the job, but due to the ongoing investigation, I can't give more details," Jelena Miovcic, SIPA's spokeswoman, told BIRN.

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